Ciutat Vella

The old Born Market, the so-called cathedral of iron and glass is an impressive structure which, for more than a century, was home to Barcelona’s wholesale fruit and vegetable market. The remains of the medieval Barcelona, which Philip V had razed to the ground when he built the military citadel, have been found below the market.

Large areas of La Ribera were demolished in the 17th century to make way for the military citadel the Bourbons had decided to build on the future site of the Parc de la Ciutadella. The remains of the old city remained buried until 2002 when they were found during building work to convert the old Born Market into a large pubic library. This major archaeological find revealed the houses, shops and artisans’ workshops in the district that had been razed to the ground by Philip V.

The remains are now protected by the wrought-iron structure of the building that housed Barcelona’s central fruit and vegetable market from 1878 to 1977. The old market was designed by Josep Fontseré, and is a building of extraordinary lightness and transparency due to its slender metal columns and the light that filters through the slatted shutters around the sides. The market, with its six aisles – two in the centre and four smaller ones at the side – and spacious interior, have earned it the name of the cathedral of iron and glass. This fine example of wrought-iron architecture reminds us of two distinct periods in history: the medieval city and the city that was reborn during the second half of the 19th century.